Small boat restrainers



March 19, 1968 s. L. HART SMALL BOAT RESTRAINERS Original Filed Jan. 10,1966 OCK OR FLOAT FIG. I.

INVENTOR STERLING L. HART BY a ATTORNEY United States Patent 6 3,373,714SMALL BOAT RESTRAINERS Sterling Lenn Hart, 30 Windsor Terrace, WhitePlains, NY. 10601 Continuation of application Ser. No. 519,603, Jan. 10,1966. This application Feb. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 616,389 6 Claims. (Cl.l14230) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Means for restraining small boatstied to a dock from sidewise movement in the form, for each boat, of twoopposed curved arms which together define a bow-shaped enclosure inwhich the bow of the boat is confined, each such two arms constitutingone arm of two mutually adjacent wishbone-shaped members pivoted at oneend to the dock and having at their outer or common end a downwardlyextending float to float the member and upwardly extending fender meansto engage the side of the boat.

This application is a continuation of application No. 519,603, filedJan. 10, 1966, and now abandoned.

Summary of the invention A plurality of members each composed of twodiverging curved arms joined at one end thus simulating the shape of awishbone, are positioned side by side in substantially a horizontalplane, with the free ends of the said arms pivoted to the dock. Thecurvature of the said arms is such that the two mutually adjacent armsof two mutually adjacent members complement each other to provide abow-shaped enclosure in which the bow of a tied up boat is confined. Theouter or common junction end of each member has a downward extensionprovided with a float for supporting the member above water and with anupwardly extending portion or extension provided with cushioned orresilient rollers adapted to be engaged by the sides of the boat. Twosuch members are required for a single boat, and for each additionalboat to be docked one additional such member is required.

Referring briefly to the accompanying drawing,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the inventionas applied to the restraining of a single boat tied to a dock, float orother landing.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view, with partsbroken away and partly in section, taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2, with the dockomitted.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front elevational view of either of the twowishbone-shaped members shown in FIG. 1, with parts broken away.

FIG. 5 is a schematic top plan view illustrating how the invention maybe applied to any number of boats in excess of one.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral designates a dock,floating platform or other boat landing to which small boats are adaptedto be tied. A plurality of identical mounting devices, plates orbrackets of which only three are shown at 11, 12, 13 in FIG. 1, aresecured to the dock spaced equidistantly from each other. The mountingdevices are shown, by way of example, as right angle brackets engagingthe top and front surfaces of the dock, with the wings 14 and 15 thereofprovided with holes 16 receptive of screws 17 or the like, for attachingthe brackets to the dock.

Shown on the horizontal wing 15 of each bracket and secured thereto, asby welding 18, are a pair of spaced supports 19, 190. Although boththese supports are identical, they have been given difierent referencenumerals for the purpose of clarifying the invention. As is seen, thesupport 19 is at the left of the support 19a. Each pair of such supportshave mutually aligned cylindrical passages or bores 20, 20a,respectively, whose axes are parallel with the front edge of the dock.

Two identical wishbone-shaped members 21 and 22 are shown in FIG. 1 and,as will become apparent below, that number is required for accommodationof one boat. To accommodate a second boat, a third identicalwishboneshaped member would be required, and it will be made apparentthat the number of such members required is one more than the number ofboats to be accommodated.

Each wishbone-shaped member 21, 22 is shown composed of two divergentlycurved cylindrical rods, or arms, 23, 24, joined together, as by welding25, at their outer end portions, and the joined ends of the arms may bedeemed the outer end of the member, that is, the end remote from thedock. Preferably the arms 23, 24 have straight portions extendingforward toward the dock for a distance from their outer ends, as shownin FIG. 1, and it is along these straight portions that they are weldedtogether.

At their inner ends, or free ends, the arms 23, 24 of each member 21, 22are deformed into aligned spindles 23a, 24a, respectively. As is shownin FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the arm 23 of the member 21 has its spindle 23aregistering in the bore 20a of the support 19a of the bracket 11, whilethe spindle 24a of the arm 24 of the same member 21 registers in thebore 20 of the support 19 of the bracket 12. Also, the spindle 23a ofthe arm 23 of the member 22 registers in the bore 20a of the support 13aof the bracket 12, while the spindle 24a of the arm 24 of the member 22registers in the bore 20 of the support 19 of the bracket 13. Thespindles in FIG. 2 as well as those which are visible in FIG. 1 areshown projecting through their respective bores and beyond.

To retain the spindles in their respective bores, cotter pins 26 areshown passed through diametrical holes through the projecting ends ofthe spindles, with the interposition of washers 27.

At the outer end of each wishbone-shaped member 21, 22, the arm 23thereof has a downward extension 28 at right angles to the common planeof the two arms 23, 24 thereof. A float 29, shown as a sphere having anaxial passage therethrough, is mounted on the extension 28 in a positionspaced below the member with the said extension passing through the saidaxial passage. Suitable cotter pins 30 and washers 31 are shownconfining the float on the extension.

Additionally, at the outer end of each member 21., 22, the arm 24thereof has an upward extension 32 at right angles to the common planeof the two arms 23, 24, thereof. Secured to this extension is a fender33 which is shown as a cylindrical roller rotatably mounted on theextension. Again, suitable cotter pins 34 and washers 35 confine thefender on the extension. Obviously, the float 29 maintains the memberabove the surface of the water while the fender 33 extends upward abovethe plane of the two arms thereof.

The curvature of all of the arms 23, 24 of the members 21, 22 is suchthat, with the members mounted side by side substantially in a commonhorizontal plane as illustrated in FIG. 1, the two mutually adjacentarms 24, 23 of the two mutually adjacent members 21, 22, respectively,simulate the outline of the bow of a boat.

With a docked boat positioned with its bow between the arms 24, 23 whosespindles register in the supports 19, 19a of the bracket 12, it isobvious that the sides of the boat adjacent the bow, can engage only thetwo fenders 33 shown in FIG. 1. Hence, movement of the water or windwhich causes the boat to swing sidewise will swing the boat against oneor the other of the fenders without doing any damage to the boat. Whentwo or more boats are thus docked side by side in the manner illustratedschematically in FIG. 5, they are restrained within the confines of suchtwo tenders and cannot contact or scrape against each other. There is,of course, a degree of resiliency inherent in the arms 23, 24 whichpermits a corresponding degree of yielding and absorbing sidewisepressure against the fenders. Moreover, since the members 21, 22 arepivotally mounted in the supports 19, 19a of the mounting brackets, theyare free to move up and down with the docked boat in harmony with therising or falling of the water level. No means has been shown for tyinga boat to the dock, but it is of course to be understood that such meansare present in the usual manner.

It is obvious that by adding a fourth mounting bracket similar to thoseshown at 11, 12 and 13 on either side of those shown in FIG. 1 andspaced at the same distances as the spacing between the said threebrackets, and likewise adding another wish'bone-shaped member identicalto those shown, a second boat can be accommodated at the dock. It isfurther obvious that for each additional boat to be accommodated oneadditional bracket together with one additional wishbone-shaped memberis supplied, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

All the parts of the instant devices except for the fenders and possiblyexcepting the floats, are preferably made of a suitable corrosionresisting metal such as stainless steel, the members 21, 22 beingpreferably in the form of resilient rods. As to the floats, they areconstructed of a suitable material having a tough exterior to resistabrasive action when used in salt water. The fenders are alsoconstructed of a tough resilient material to withstand constant chafingor rubbing action such as may be brought to bear upon them.

To accommodate small craft which do not have the same beam measurement,finders of different diameters may be provided so that all the dockedboats are constrained to a position substantially at right angles to theedge of the dock or other landing.

As the fenders are provided with or in the form of rollers, when a smallboat is approaching its berth at an incorrect angle it may first strikeone fender and the rotatable action of the fender will parry the boat toa more correct angle for entry for a safe landing. The fenders, beingabove water and in plain sight, may bear different colors or numbersafter the fashion of a code, so that each berth is readily indentifiableby its code color or number. Thus its identity will be quickly spottedby the skipper so that he may make a timely maneuver and thus lessen thechance of a collision.

It is to be noted that each bow-shaped berth such as the single oneshown in FIG. 1 forward of the bracket 12 is provided with a three-pointstress set-up on each side thereof, or, more specifically, each member21, 22 is so provided. Such three points for each member consist in thewelded outer end of the member and the supports of the two mutuallyadjacent brackets in which the arms of the member are pivoted. Hence themember will flex a minimum distance upon impact of a boat or pressureexerted by the boat, with a minimum strain at any one point. Thus asteady holding restraining force is provided, capable of withstandingsevere pressures in lateral directions due to wind, wave or current.

Since each wishbone-shaped member is vertically pivotable, it may beraised and swung on to the deck for servicing, or it may readily beremoved from the mounting brackets for prolonged storage, in an obviousmanner.

In the schematic showing in FIG. 5, a mounting bracket 11a is shownpositioned at the left of the bracket 11, and an added mounting bracket13a is shown positioned at the right of the bracket 13, thus providingtwo additional berths for boats 3:, and 37 in addition to the boat 38shown positioned in front of the bracket 12.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is asfollows:

1. In combination with a dock, a plurality of wishbone-shaped memberspositioned in side by side relationship substanlially in a horizontalplane and extending outward from the dock, each of said membersconsisting of two curved arms of mutually identical degrees ofcurvature, said arms being rigidly joined together at one end thereofand diverging from said one end thereof, the joined ends of said twoarms constituting the outer end of the member, means partly on said dockand partly on the other ends of said two arms of each of said membersfor pivotally securing the members to the dock in said side by siderelationship, the curvature of all of said arms being such that the twomutually adjacent arms of two mutually adjacent members define anoutline substantially complementary to the outline of the bow of a smallboat, each of said members having on said outer end thereof fioat meansfor positioning said two arms thereof above the surface of the water andfender means extending upward above said horizontal plane.

2. A combination according to claim 1, said float means comprising adownward extension on said outer end of the member and a float mountedon said downward extension.

3. A combination according to claim 1, said fender means comprising anupward extension on said outer end of the member and a fender mounted onsaid upward extension.

4. A combination according to claim 3, said fender comprising a rollerhaving an axial passage therethrough, said roller being rotatablymounted on said upward extension, and means for retaining the roller onsaid upward extension.

5. A combination according to claim 1, said means partly on said dockcomprising equidistantly spaced mounting plates secured to the dock,each of said mounting plates having two spaced supports thereon providedwith mutually aligned bores, the bores of all of said supports having acommon axis parallel with the edge of the dock, said means on said otherends of said arms comprising mutually aligned spindles, one of said twospindles of each member registering in a first support of the twosupports on one mounting plate and the other of said two spindlesthereof registering in a second support of the two supports on the nextadjacent mounting plate, said first and second supports being thosewhich are directly opposite each other, and means for retaining saidspindles in their respective supports.

6. A combination according to claim 5, said spindles on each of said twoarms of each of said members extending in opposite directions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1953 Bascome 114-230 7/1962Atlas l14230

